Strange But Pretty
by WritingOutOfStyle
Summary: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE The 4 boys are now 4 teenagers facing the battle of adolescence. Change can be rough especially when you're a nerd and spent almost every lunch hiding in the AV room. Mike assumes this year will be like the others until a new strange girl shows up out of no where. Curious, Mike wants to get to know her & soon discovers theres more to this girl than he ever knew
1. Chapter 1

**AUTHORS NOTE**

**Set in an alternate universe where the boys had nothing to do with Eleven's past or rescuing from the lab. Her past will become clearer as the story goes on. Enjoy!**

**CHAPTER ONE- ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS AND CHANGE **

"Cast protection!"

"No hiding will be the better option."

"Are you kidding- fireball the son of a bitch!"

All eyes were on Will as he stared at the board, mind whirling as he decided which move he would make in order to win. Dustin grabbed his wild curls in anticipation while Lucas leaned forward, hands clenched in front of him. The fourth and final member of what was known as their 'Party', Mike, simply stared at Will from behind the book, waiting for his answer. All four of them had small beads of sweat on their foreheads as they brought the game to an end, leaning close to the table. The campaign had been one of their longest yet, reaching almost 11 hours. And it all came down to Will's next move.

"I choose… fireball!" Will shouted grabbing the pair of dice and tossing them on to the table. Everyone leaned in holding their breath as the first dice rolled a _6 _and the second dice-

"Mike!"

The boys jumped at the sound of Mrs Wheeler screaming her sons name from the kitchen, causing Dustin's leg to bump the table and the dice to fall off the board along with parts of the set up and game pieces. They all stood up and scrabbled around the floor to grab the fallen figurines.

"What mum! We're trying to finish the campaign" Mike screeched back up the stairs of the basement as his mother opened the door.

"Michael, it's a school night. You can finish the campaign another night- that's final." Mrs Wheeler said firmly folding her arms.

"Mum come on! We aren't 12 anymore- just another 20 minutes?" her son pleaded but as soon as he saw his mother fold her arms he knew there was no more arguing.

"No Mike- high school or not it is still a school night. Pack up the game and then get ready for tomorrow. It's the first day. All of you need to head home now. You can continue the game another night."

A chorus of 'yes Mrs wheeler' and 'yes mum' came from the boys as they begrudgingly packed their things. Mike sat on the bed in the corner. He had moved into the basement 2 years ago which didn't really make a difference considering he pretty much lived down there anyway either to play Dungeons and Dragons or watch movies or to get away from his sisters. The room was decorated with comic books, super hero posters and photographs of him and his friends when they were younger. At the moment, his friend's back packs scattered the floor along with empty candy bar wrappers and some comic books they had brought over to compare.

"Are we biking it tomorrow or driving?" Will asked as he packed. Lucas and Mike were the first of the party to get their license although the boys do prefer to ride their bikes from time to time. But usually kids their age drove to school. Plus, it would save them some humiliation and maybe even boost their rep.

"I'll come and pick you guys up in the morning so long as I'm not waiting 30 minutes for Dustin to fix his hair to impress Jennifer" Mike said a grin growing on his face as his friends snickered. Dustin rolled his eyes as he slung his back pack on and muttered, "real funny Mike".

Mike laughed slightly. "Alright well see you guys tomorrow. I'll honk when I'm out the front of your houses. I'll be at Lucas's by 7:45"

The boys filed up the stairs shouting goodbyes and farewells leaving Mike to lay back on his bed. As his back hit the mattress he let out a faint sigh. Tomorrow would be a new beginning but it will always go the same. New classes, new things to learn and maybe new teachers. But it will be the same old people, the same old bullies the same old social hierarchy. They'd be labelled the 'nerds' of their class, trying hard in classes, sitting in the AV room at lunch and spend their days trying to avoid bullies like Troy who, ever since they were kids, had picked on them.

So, Mike had overall mixed feelings about the new school year. Although some parts did suck for him and his friends, it wasn't all bad. In fact, the routine was comforting in some ways. The party had always stuck together through everything and they had the AV club to hideaway from the majority of the school. Although the boys rarely played their games and spent more time at the arcade or the new mall, it was nice to end the holidays with what really brought the party together.

_In a way, let's hope nothing really changes_ he thought, staring at the ceiling before getting up flicking the lights off allowing sleep to ease him out of his thoughts.

On the other side of Hawkins, in a cabin in the woods lights still flickered in the room of a girl. Music played softly in the corner, something the girl had held on to the moment it had been introduced to her. She lay on the bed staring at her ceiling, a frown painted on her face while a mixture of thoughts and emotions ran through her body. She wasn't ready. Not for this. Not for the thing she had been told moments ago.

"_It will be ok. I promise."_

"_No."_

"_I promise. We don't make stupid decisions remember because-"_

"_We are not stupid, I know"_

"_That's right. Trust me- when have I ever let you down? This will be a good thing for you. I promise you it will be ok. I'll still be here for you."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Promise. Trust me kid- you'll be fine". _

Even the kind reassuring words of her adoptive father could not calm her nerves. She was frightened. Scared. Worried. Her limited vocabulary could not help her put the feelings into words for her father, but she could feel something like a wave of water slowly taking over body, filling her with unease. She didn't like these feelings. They reminded her too much of… of her life before.

Moaning in pain over these feelings she rolled on to her stomach and clutched a furry rabbit toy she had been gifted the previous Christmas to her chest.

"_Sometimes you need something to change in your life to help you move forward… Change can be good for you"_

At the time, the girl had nodded as if agreeing or at least understanding what was being said. But in her mind, a voice seemed to be screaming. _But I don't want things to change! I like how now is!_

But she knew there would be no arguing. The decision was final.

Another sigh escaped her lips. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was nearing 12:30am and that she'd need sleep if she was to face the events that awaited her. Laying on the bed she slipped under the covers and turned the lights off.

Except she didn't get up to turn the light switch.

As promised, Mike arrived at Lucas's house at 7:45am to pick up the party. Within 20 minutes, all four boys were in the Wheeler's car chattering on about class schedules, new classes and whether or not the new Star Wars film compared to the previous.

"It was incredible- did you see that cinematography in the Jedi scene?" Dustin exclaimed from the backseat while Will nodded along just as eagerly.

"Yeah and it was shit- we could come up with better dialogue for that scene. It had no flow" Lucas shot back as they began to drive into the school parking lot. It was already starting to fill up and it wasn't even 8:30am yet. After securing a park near the back, the boys filed out and grabbed their stuff, walking towards the school building still bickering about the movie.

"Yo guys," Lucas said, putting a pause to the friendly banter. "What's the chief doing here?" He nodded to the left of the party. They all looked and notice the Hawkin's police ute parked near the front of the school. It was attracting a fair bit of attention from other students passing by. The last time the police had visited the high school was when a student had almost blown up a science lab during a chemistry experiment. Police don't normally visit the school often.

"Maybe they're here to do a talk?" Will suggested as they passed the gold car. "You know, the whole police career thing."

"Or maybe they're hunting down a serial killer" Dustin whispered hauntingly, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"Or a psychopath who escaped from a mental asylum" Will joined in. Mike snorted and while Lucas shook his head in exasperation but smiled at his friends comments as they walked through the doors.

Students surrounded the halls, gathered around lockers or just walking side by side passing time until the first bell of the day rang to begin the school year. Coincidently, all four boys were in the same homeroom and had lockers in the same area only a few feet apart from each other.

"Anyone got a free in period 3?" Dustin asked as they headed into their homeroom class, choosing seats towards the front of the classroom like they always sat- Lucas and Dustin in front and Mike and Will right behind them.

"I do"

"Yep"

"Nope- calculus."

More students filed into the classroom, the noise level rising until Mrs Lewis, the Homeroom teacher, walked in and the voices were reduced to low murmuring.

"I hope you're all ready for a fresh school year. We have a lot of exciting events coming up' she started off. "Science Fair participants need to submit their entry fee by next Friday, cheer tryouts will be held on Thursday after school in the gymnasium, extracurricular activities and clubs will be posted on the sign-up board outside the library-"

A knock at the door interrupted the list of daily announcements and all heads turned to the door. Principal Singleton stood in the door way, smiling at the class.

"Sorry to interrupt Mrs Lewis, but I just wanted to introduce a new student who will be joining your homeroom this year." Principal Singleton announced, walking into the classroom. It was something that usually happened in the school new year. New kids always were introduced to the homeroom classes this way, so Mike didn't pay that much attention to it.

That was until _she _walked in.

"Class, this is El Hopper. Please make sure she feels welcomed and at home here." The principal smiled around the room before patting the girl's shoulder and walking out the room, leaving her to stand at the front of the class.

Mike stared at the girl, curiosity sparking inside him as he gazed at her. The girl seemed strange and… well terrified. Her eyes were wide with unsureness as she stared back around the classroom, fist white and clenched around her books which were tucked close to her chest as if to be a shield. _Like Captain America_, Mike thought wondrously as he took in the sight before him. Strange, terrified and… pretty.

_Wait what?_

Before Mike could answer his own unvoiced question, Mrs Lewis smiled and approached the girl.

"Well El, welcome to Hawkins High School!"

**AUTHORS NOTE**

**Please leave reviews, comments, suggestions or ideas on where the story may lead or what you may expect! I am a big fan of Mike and Eleven. Eleven's past will also become clearer as the story goes on. Hope you enjoy **

**Peace out xo**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TW0- WELCOME PARTY**

It wasn't as bad as El had imagined.

It was worse.

There had been so many faces when her and Hopper drove in. So many noises and voices and words she didn't understand seemed to swallow her when she had stepped out the car. She had felt gazes and stares bore into the back of her head, the whispers of female voices as she walked towards the principal's office with Hopper next to her.

"Did you see her clothes?"

"Is that a guy's shirt?"

"God she look's weird- she seriously needs help with her wardrobe."

None of these comments had made any sense to El. Her clothes were comfy- Hopper had given them to her. She liked the feeling and thought all the squares on the shirt were interesting. But 'interesting' was very different from 'weird'. She knew that from what her adoptive father had taught her in the years he had taken her in. She had liked learning with him.

What she didn't like was the school. The small halls with lots of people, the accusing and questioning stares, the weird smell that hung in the air especially around the boys- it too much to take in.

And now she was standing in front of a room of these people that were loud, had strange smells and made comments on her clothes. Clenching her books even tighter, El glanced at faces frantically, unsure of what to do next.

"Feel free to take a seat dear, there's a nice spot in the second row between Sophie Keller and Will Byers" Mrs Lewis said softly pointing to a seat between a blonde girl who looked El up and down with what could only describe as not friendly, and a boy with brown hair and a more friendlier face. As she began to walk to the seat she noticed a curly dark-haired boy sitting next to this… Will Byers. But it wasn't his wild curls that got her attention.

The boy seemed to be staring at her the way Hopper would stare at the newspaper he'd read daily at breakfast. Like he had found something interesting to read and was trying to figure it out.

_Weird. _

El continued to slowly walked to the seat the teacher had pointed out and sat down carefully. While Mrs. Lewis continued her speech from earlier, El began to run he thumb over the mark on her wrist in a soothing circular motion.

_011_

Eleven. Her name. a permanent reminder as to how she got to be here.

Mike continued to shoot quick glances at the new girl who was now seated only two spots away. She was just so... interesting. Quirky even. With how her hair was tied into a messy knot at the back of her head compared to the other girls perfectly curled locks, her clothes which were baggy and slightly tom-boyish while other girls stuck with skirts and dresses, and how her face was completely natural and free of any beauty products. It was… pretty.

The sound of the bell jolted Mike out of his thoughts. Looking down to gather his books distracted for a brief moment and when he looked up again, El had… vanished.

_Strange._

"What do you think of her huh?" Lucas asked as they made their way out the room. "Kinda weird."

"She dresses like a guy- and she's a girl!" Dustin replied, no scorn in his voice, just disbelief. As if it was the most bizarre thing he's come across.

"I thought it was kinda cool." The comment came from Will quietly. "She's got her own style you know? Like she knows who she is and is sure of herself." Lucas scoffed.

"Sure of herself? She looked like a kid who got lost in the mall and doesn't know where her parents are."

"Yeah- did you see how she was looking around the classroom?" Dustin tried to recreate the terrified expression that had captivated the new girls face when she had stood in front of the class. Although his friends were laughing, Mike couldn't join in on the light-hearted teasing. There was something about this girl he found kind of intriguing.

"What do you think of this new 'El' Mike?"

Jumping out of his thoughts, the dark-haired boy hesitated before answering.

"I don't know… she seems kinda strange hey." He said carefully, "but I guess she seems kinds cool as well like Will said. She's got her own style and stuff". Will smiled as his friend backed him up.

"If we see her around we should make her feel welcome at least- being new kid sucks" Dustin said, remembering his own first few days of being the new kid. "Like a welcoming party of Hawkins High!" He looked at his friends waiting for the idea to sink in. No one looked keen.

"She's still a weirdo" Lucas muttered while Will glanced at his watch and cursed.

"Gotta run- don't want to be late to my first class. AV room at lunch?" he called as he hurried towards the art rooms. Artistry seemed to run in the Byer's family, and Will was no exception.

"See you then, Will the Wise" Mike shouted back before heading to his own class, waving farewell to his other friends when they reached their own class.

Although it wasn't his strongest subject, Mike had decided to take up a History class only to give him something other than science or mathematical. Well technically _Nancy _made him pick it saying it would help his grades and skills for English, another subject he did not excel at. Anything to do with writing had been his older sister's specialty. But he took her up on her advice and had selected the history subject.

Walking into the classroom the first thing Mike saw was the girl, El, just sitting by herself at the back corner of the class looking just as unsure as she did when Mike first laid eyes on her. She was alone, other students in groups chattering away but none paying the new girl any attention except to occasionally stare and make soft whispering comments. There was a spot near the front of the room, usually a placement Mike would race for, but there was also a spare seat next to the girl at the back.

Mike stood at the doorway, hesitant on whether to take his usual seat or whether to take the seat next to the new girl. He could not put into words as to why he was even considering sitting next to this strange girl but there was some sort of pull like a magnet, that intrigued Mike and soon enough he found himself heading in the direction of the back of the classroom.

"Hey uh… this seat taken?"

El's head snapped up at the sound of voice close by, not even sure if it was addressing her. It was the dark-haired boy who had been staring at her in…what was it- home room? Up close, she could see his pale complexion with high cheek bones that seemed to accent his face almost… sweetly. Her eyes drifted to his and soon found herself drawn to the deep brown eyes that stared at her with an unsureness almost like her own as well as a friendly glint. He cocked his head, as if waiting for something. Glancing around, it soon dawned on her that he was talking _her_.

"No"

She spoke so quietly; Mike was afraid he misheard her. He shyly placed his bag on the table and slid into the seat next to her. And then, they were silent. The awkward silence where neither party knew what to say or how to start a conversation. Mike could feel his palms become sweaty and wiped them on his pants.

"It's El right?" he asked unsurely even though he was sure of this fact.

"Yes."

Mike nodded fast.

"Cool…cool… I'm Michael but people call me Mike for short." He offered his hand out to shake, while internally kicking himself. _What was he doing?! Why was he awkward around girls? Who shook a girl's hand? Seriously Mike!_

But El didn't seem to notice. Instead, her brow furrowed into a face of slight concentration.

"Mike" she said, almost tentatively, as if speaking a word of another language. Uncertainly glancing up, she stared at his hand. After a few moments having his hand raised, Mike began to wonder if he should put it down until she slowly reached out her own and gently shook it.

Her hand felt slim and soft in his, so delicate and fragile. He felt her eyes stare into his and his face began to go red as a new shyness spreading through him. And for the first time he noticed something that he hadn't seen her do since he first laid eyes on her.

She was… smiling.

It was a small, sweet smile. El couldn't help herself. This boy…he was strange and he stared a lot but he was also kind. Glancing back down at their joined hands she realised the small numbers imprinted on her skin were exposed from the cover of her straw bracelet, something she had made during her time spent away from the world. She pulled her hand away quickly, readjusting the bracelet and hiding the markings. Hoppers voice began to fill her head.

"_Rule one- no one can know about your past. No one- not even a friend"_

She fumbled for a bit with the bracelet, leaving Mike to feel confused at her sudden detachment before he came to the conclusion that she, like everyone else at the school, had realised he was a dork.

_Way to screw it up Mike_

But that's when El smiled again at Mike.

_Or maybe not?_

"It is nice to meet you" she said, every word falling so delicately off her lips but each accented with meaning. As if she was speaking a foreign language or she simply did not have good English. _Maybe she's an exchange student_ Mike thought to himself. But before he could ask her, the teacher had walked in putting a pause to all conversations in the room.

Maybe after learning about the history of America, he might be able to learn about the new girl…

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

"Ok but if you had to pick between having milkshakes or coke as the only liquid for the rest of your life what would you pick?"

These were the type of life-or-death questions the party would debate over while working on AV projects during their lunch periods. The boys had all endured the first half of the day and were longing for the school day to be brought to an end.

"Coke for sure- it taste way better plus it will decrease chances of nausea and increase my energy levels" Lucas responded burping slightly.

"But milkshakes provide you with calcium" Dustin questioned as he leaned back in his chair, a second sandwich in his hand.

"I'm lactose and tolerant genius"

"Oh"

The boys snorted while Lucas chucked some ham at Dustin in exasperation. Continuing their lunches, it wasn't long before the subject of the new girl came up again.

"I had her in English. She sat a few desks away from Dustin and I" Will said between bites. "She talks a bit strange as well- I mean, when she does speak." Mike looked up at this.

"You spoke to her too?" he asked, curiously.

"Too?" Lucas perked up. "You spoke to the weirdo?"

Will and Dustin sat up to this as well, slight disbelief in their gaze.

"Yeah? I mean no… I mean…" Mike hesitated as he recalled the conversation in his head. "She said like 10 words in total or something. But like Will said, she talks kind of funny, like, I don't know, she's not from around here"

"You think?" The scornful remark came from Dustin. "If she was actually from around here don't you reckon we'd have seen her around Hawkin's or something? She must be like from another country." His eyes widened. "What if she's Russian?!"

"She's not Russian idiot." Mike shot back.

"How would you know?"

"Well for starters she doesn't have a Russian accent. She just seems kinda slow"

"Maybe she's got a hearing problem- she talked funny when she introduced herself to Ms Jenkins- really slow at pronouncing her words. Like a deaf person" Will commented. But Mike shook his head.

"I don't think so. It's like she hasn't socialised properly before. But there's something else that doesn't add up" Mike hesitated for a moment while his friends stared at him waiting for him to continue.

"She's Chief Hopper's daughter, right?"

"Hold on" Lucas interrupted. "Sure, her last name is Hopper but how do we know it's the Chiefs daughter?"

"We saw his car this morning, remember? I don't think it was simply a coincidence that he was here and then suddenly this girl shows up with the exact same last name." The boys slowly nodded in agreement.

"Since when did Chief suddenly have a daughter who was our age? I thought his daughter died when she was little. And he never married anyone else" Mike said letting his words sink in.

"And Principal Singleton never introduced her as an exchange student"

The voice came from Will, his voice low and eyes staring straight ahead, slowly making the connection about what Mike was trying to say. Dustin looked back and forward at the two.

"I don't think I follow" he said slowly, his lisp coming through as he stared at his two friends. Will glanced at Mike before looking around at the rest of the party.

"Well if she isn't an exchange student but no one's seen her around Hawkin's before." Will spoke in the same slow voice saying each word carefully.

"Where the hell did she come from?"

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

School was hard- harder than El ever thought. It was confusing and lots of writing and numbers. There pictures of people she had been shown and maps of places she had been introduced to, learning the world was far larger than she had ever imagined and it scared her. There were _more _people in the world than just the classrooms she had seen today. There were _more_ places beside the roads her and Hopper had driven down just to get to the school.

She hadn't been ready for this. She would _never _be read for the reality of the world that been outside her cabin home this entire time.

"So, how was it?" El jumped into the car and looked at her father, who was waiting for her answer, cigar unlit in his mouth

_Strange. Loud. Too many voices. Too many faces. I don't want to go back._

"It was… ok" she said slowly hoping it was enough of a way to describe it. Hop glanced at her with a soft smile.

"Don't worry kid, it'll get easier with time."

She nodded and looked out the window as they left the school but she had a strange feeling as if someone was watching her. Looking outside the window, she saw four boys watching the car pull out of the parking lot, staring in wonder and curiosity. After a moment, she recognised the Will Byers from her first class. The taller dark skinned boy was unfamiliar as was the shorter boy with a mane of curls even wilder than the boy next to him-

The boy from history. Who had shaken her hand. Made her smile for the first time since she had arrived at that school.

_Mike_

**AUTHORS NOTE**

**So… I posted way sooner than I thought I would haha! I will ask for your opinions on the lengths of the chapter. This chapter is 7 pages long and I was worried it would be too much. If you feel like it is- I will split this chapter into 2 with a few easy edits. **

**Please keep reviewing the story! I have the next 5 chapters ready to go but I will leave a small break in between so you guys have a chance to develop thoughts and tips. **

**It's 2am so I'm logging off. Keep posting your thoughts!**

**Peace out xo**


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE- BENNY'S, BURGERS, AND BONDING**

The first few days flew by and soon El found herself at Benny's diner, the only other person she felt safe around beside Hopper. It was Benny who was the first person she had met outside of… that place. He had helped her, fed her, clothed her and introduced her to Hopper… her saviour.

"_Don't be shy- this is Jim. Jim Hopper. He's someone who can help you"_

_The man who had entered the door sent shivers down Eleven's spine. His presence seemed to fill the room and he held himself with an air of authority. El hid slightly behind the booth her heart rate rising and her breathing coming out in short exhilarated puffs. _

_The stranger took slow, cautious steps towards her, as if approaching a scared animal and when he spoke, his voice was low and gruff but tinged with a gentleness that seemed unapparent to a man of his size._

"_Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you kid"_

_She looked up, small brown eyes meeting frowning ones, a hand extended to her as if it was a gift. She didn't take it._

"_I don't know what you've been through but I promise I won't hurt you."_

_Promise? What kind of a word was promise?_

"_What…what is promise?"_

_The man tilted his head, lowering his hand, as he heard the young girl speak._

"_You've never heard of 'promise'?" He continued to keep his voice slow and calm, exchanging glances with Benny as if asking for an explanation. The bigger man shrugged slightly._

"_She hasn't spoken much since she got here chief, I don't think she's been educated" he mumbled his eyes resting on the girl who seemed to shrink in the presence of the two men. Turning his gaze back to the girl he slowly bent down into a crouch so he was on her eye level._

"_Well, a promise is something you keep between people and never break. You stick to your word no matter what- does that make some sense to you?" _

_Eleven nodded slowly. It did make sense in a way._

"_I'm Chief Jim Hopper. Do you have a name?"_

_Looking into his eyes, Eleven felt something in her relax. A part of her was cautious but some instinct in her told her she could trust this man. He wasn't like he bad men. Sitting up slightly, she raised her hand as Benny had when he first introduced himself to her._

"_Eleven." She whispered softly. "I am Eleven"_

_Hopper's eyes widened in slight surprise at the gesture. It had been the most normal social greeting that had come from the strange young girl. He reached out and took her hand._

_And from that moment, Eleven felt something she hadn't felt in a long time._

_Safe._

The smell of fries drifted her out of her memory and she smiled slightly as Benny placed small plate of fries with a burger on the table, finding a place amongst all the books and papers splayed everywhere.

"How was the first week?" Benny asked standing for a while at the booth, wiping his hands on the greasy cloth that was slung over his shoulder constantly. Eleven swears she had never seen him without it. Putting the pen down, she reached for a fry.

"Hard. Lots of people- and they always give more papers to do at home" she mumbled between mouthfuls of food. She paused and looked a Benny, knowing she can be hones with him. "I'm not ready"

"Ahh kid" he sat next to her, "No one ever feels ready for the real world especially if they went through what you did." He paused before continuing. "Have you made any friends or spoken to any of the kids from class?"

She tugged her lip up and shook her head.

"Not really."

With a slight smile, Benny shook the small tray of chips slightly.

"On the house kid. If you need any help with ya work give me a shout. I wasn't the best at school but still managed to pass even with the shit I got up to" Chuckling he stood up and walked back to the kitchen, whistling softly to himself.

El continued to battle her way through the paper in front of her, the fries giving her a slight energy boost when she heard the bell chime as a new customer walked in.

"Hey sir! How are you?"

"Michael! The usual I presume?"

Her head snapped up at the familiar voice. The staring boy. The one who sat next to her in history, who gave her funny looks in the hall. His back pack slung on his shoulder, he looked more relaxed than El had seen at school. The black top seemed to almost match his hair which were tucked itno his jeans, a light blue which was a nice contrast to the grey counter at Benny's.

"Yes please- am I good to go sit down?"

"Of course- ill bring it out to you when it's ready. Coffee as well?"

"Yes please."

He turned around, and began to walk to a booth before freezing as his eyes locked with hers.

_Shit, _El thought as she looked back at her work, face flushing a bright red to be caught out for staring.

Mike felt frozen- a deer in headlights frozen. It was her. El.

The new strange girl of Hawkin's High- at _his _study hideout. Benny's was the one place Mike came to late at night when he couldn't focus at home on his studies. Sometimes because of the distractions in his room like comic books or the TV. Other times, it was because his families bickering could be heard clearly even in the basement with the door locked. Sometimes it was Nancy and their Mum, other times it would be Nancy and Holly. But lately his parents had begun arguing a lot more, their unhappiness with each other becoming clearer and clearer with each fight.

Tonight was one of those nights. The fighting had become too much- so he had snuck out the door and slipped out on to his bike to get away, wanting a nice quiet place to complete his homework.

And there she was. Just sitting there in a booth, books everywhere- English, math, history and music. He frowned. It was the first week- surely no class had _that _much homework. She looked as if she was drowning.

"Just go over and talk to her Mike," he muttered to himself. "Just be cool"

After hesitating for a moment, he walked to her booth. Her eyes flickered upwards and he couldn't help but smile slighty at her. She was the same as she was at school. Baggy weird clothes, face without product except her hair hung short and loosely around her shoulders, wavy and soft. He hadn't seen her with her hair about before. It was… nice.

"Hey," Mike said, shuffling his feet as he stopped beside the booth. El looked up and gave her own half smile, causing Mike's heart rate to increase slightly.

"Hi" she replied with that same gentle voice she had used when she first spoke to Mike. It was so soft and smooth, deeper than most girls who had high pitched voices but just as feminine all the same. A look of unsureness entered her gaze and Mike realised that maybe she had forgotten their introduction.

"It's Mike" His words came out fast. "Uhh from History?"

"I know" El said in the same soft tone. "I am…surprised you are here. That's all"

He almost sighed in relief. She remembered him. That was a bonus, right?

"Mind if I sit… somewhere here?" he asked glancing around at the books that were on the other wide of the booth. Blushing even harder, El nodded and leaned over to pick them up and place them on her side. She began moving most of the papers out of the way while Mike slid in across from her. He picked up some of the papers.

"Math homework?" he asked with a raised eyebrow scanning the messy equations. From the countless squiggles and numbers crossed out and rewritten numbers, he could pick up that El had struggled slightly.

She nodded as he continued to read through it.

"It's hard, some of it" she said. "Sorry for the mess. I had trouble with it." It was true. Math was proving to be one of the hardest things she had ever encountered but after some persistence she seemed to be getting the hang of it. "Plus my words are messy"

Mike chuckled softly.

"Why are you apologising? Everyone writes different. See?"

He grabbed a pen and in the corner, wrote out his name. There was no cursive, just simple printed letters evenly spaced and neat.

"This is how I write. Will- one of my friends, the one you sit next to in home room- writes more like this" He wrote his name again in attempt to copy his friends handwriting with small cursive letters, neat and joined. El frowned as she stared at the adjoining letters. In honesty, she preferred Mike's style as she could read it better.

"And Dustin writes like this"

He wrote his name one last time in larger bigger block letters with a slight scrawl, similar to Eleven's style and she grinned.

"Now your turn" 

Her head snapped up in confusion.

"What?"

Mike smiled and slid the paper around, handing her the pen.

"Write it out how you would in _you_r style" He said tapping the space which he had left for her. Her hesitation was clear, but Mike just looked at her with calm eyes, which seemed to encourage her. Taking the pen she gently spelt out his name.

M..I…K…E…

Her writing was bigger than his, but smaller than Dustin's.

W…H…E…E..

It wasn't as neat as Will's or Mikes, but each letter was curved and spelled out clearly.

L…E…R…

"See? Although they all look kinda different from each other they all mean the same thing" Mike grinned and El couldn't help but grin back. It was the first time she had felt almost… normal.

"Ah Mike! I see you've met El"

Both teenagers jumped as Benny stopped at their table, a burger and steaming coffee in his hands. The pair glanced at each other as Benny placed down Mike's food.

"Uhh… yeah. Mike… goes to school with me." El stuttered out.

"We do history together" Mike said slowly, looking from Benny to El with a growing look of curiosity. "Do you know each other?"

_Shit. _El stiffened. She couldn't tell the truth. As much as she liked this strange staring boy, she would be in huge amounts of trouble with Hop if she let slip the truth of how she had befriended the diner owner. She could imagine the scowl on Hop's face as he yelled at her, cursing taking her in and somehow sending her into hiding again. She cast a desperate glance at Benny.

"We…uhhh…I mean, I-"

"Now Mike, you know I like to get to know my regular customers." Benny grumbled out, coming to El's rescue. "She comes in usually every few nights with a book to read so of course I had to get to know her and now shes one of my favourite customers."

El beamed gratefully at the old man and he gave her slight wink. What he said wasn't a complete lie. On quieter nights, Hopper would bring El to the diner to get out every once in a while when he was sure there would be no one but Benny. It was where Benny and Hop would have 'grown up chats' and El would sit and read, another thing she had begun to enjoy. Mostly just children's books, but she was slowly progressing.

"I've never seen you here though," Mike still looked slightly sceptical before shrugging it off and tossing a chip into his mouth. "It's a shame."

He froze. El stared with surprise and giggled slightly at the deep shade of red that slowly blossomed over the lanky boy's face. At that sound, Mike looked at her and smiled shyly. Benny coughed slightly. "I'll leave youse to it." As he walked off, Mike took a bite of his burger and pointed to El's.

"So, what's your burger of choice?" She glanced at it in slight confusion.

_There are types of burgers? _She had always just gotten the same burger Benny had first given her, she didn't' realise there were types Hesitantly she saw Benny wave from over at the counter mouthing '_chee-z-burger'_

"A chee-eez burger" she said, pronouncing it carefully. Benny gave her thumbs up and she almost giggled again. How silly this all seemed.

"Cheese burger" He nodded. "Solid choice. Although you haven't lived until you have tried" he paused for dramatic effect "Benny's Ultimate, Supreme, Superior Mustard Burger!" He held the burger in his hand, the distinct yellow colouring of mustard dripping slightly. "One of the best burgers you can order at this diner"

This time, El did giggle.

"That looks a little…gross"

Mike pretended to be offended.

"I'll pretend you didn't say that so we can continue our friendship" Mike stopped. He hadn't meant to say that. He did not want to push the new girl into a one-sided friendship.

"Friendship?" El questioned slowly. Did this silly skinny boy really want to be her friend? Everyone else at school had so far avoided her and left her be except for a few. A boy with a very round hair cut in her English had helped her when the girls had knocked her books off the desk and another girl with huge glasses had joined her at the library one lunch. But that was about it.

"Uhh yeah I mean we don't have to" he injected quickly. "I was only suggesting like-"

"Mike," El said, cutting him off, slightly shaking her head in amusement at our flustered he had gotten. "I would like to be your… friend".

Mike grinned, he couldn't even play it off.

"Cool" he said.

"Cool" El giggled. Mike pulled out his own books and together they spent the next hour studying, Mike talking about the pros and cons of different burgers, El giggling and trying not to become too distracted. Both could not stop smiling, enjoying this time together.

From the counter, Benny chuckled to himself as he watched the pair. Reminded him of his own days as a teenager, bonding over burgers and fries to get through the rising pressure of high school. The good old days. He then snorted as a thought came to mind.

_I wonder what Hop's gonna say about this._

But telling her adoptive father about her run in with this Mike boy was the last thing on El's mind. She was so stuck in the moment, so happy that time flew by.

"I better off, it's getting a little late" Mike began to pack his things after noticing his watch read almost 11pm. He knew his mum would freak if he was home any later than 11:30pm especially on a Thursday. She was bound to find out he wasn't home soon and he didn't want her calling his friends parents in a state. But before he left he hesitated. "Do you have a ride home? I mean, I only brought my bike but if you need a ride…?"

El shook her head.

"It's ok. I have a… a ride" she said repeating the terminology Mike had used. She relaxed as Mike nodded simply in response, he gave some money to Benny but before leaving he turned around and smiled at El.

"Cool- well I'll see you tomorrow El, night"

"Night Mike"

The entire ride home, Mike was grinning. He can't believe he had managed to talk to a girl for so long and actually enjoy it without being too awkward. He relished in her smile and the way he had said his name, so soft as if it was delicate on her lips.

As he rode up the driveway, he noticed the lights were still on. Either his parents were still arguing or his mother had waited up for him. As he walked in the door he saw his mother leaning against the kitchen sink, dressed for bed. She glanced up as she heard footsteps.

"Honey, where were you. It's almost midnight" his mother whispered as loudly as she could, glancing at the large clock on the wall.

"I was only at Benny's Diner, mum. I wanted somewhere quiet to study" he responded pointedly as he headed for the basement. There was no reply on his mother's side which didn't really bother him. It wasn't until he descended the basement stairs that he heard his mother's voice.

"Right well… next time please be home at a more reasonable hour"

"Ok mum, night"

"Night Michael"

He flopped on to his bed, a grin spreading across his face as he recalled the events. Closing his eyes, he found himself easily picturing El's face, nose scrunching slightly as she giggled at a silly comment Mike had made about their burgers. As he drifted off to sleep, his mind strayed to the one thing that bothered him about this girl.

_Where did you come from El?_

**AUTHORS NOTE**

**Hey everyone! How do we think we're going? This chapter mainly focuses on the connection (although awkward and unsure at first) developing at the beginning. I was actually rewatching the first series and found myself to be so awed by the gentle understanding and patience Mike had with Eleven during their first moments alone in his basement. I wanted to include some of that awkwardness, innocence and birth of trust in this chapter and also want to give a centre piece to my central love birds of this story hehe.**

**I'm actually loving being able to write this alternate story but I am also considering writing my own take on Season 4 Stranger Things! It will include a lot less mush and so much drama and supernatural events- but there will still be mushy moments for you readers to gush over.**

**So like always- COMMENT YOUR THOUGHTS!**

**Peace out xo**


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